How many perfect-weather days do you get every year where you live? Where I live in southern Florida, I’d estimate the number would be 75 days. Now think about what it would be like to have only that number of days every year to be outside, doing anything. Not a lot, huh? Not a lot of days for playing outside due to “bad” weather, as the National Wildlife Federation addresses in its Be Out There campaign.

Here is how I came up with 75 days: Although Florida is known as the Sunshine State, here in southern Florida, speaking in climate terms, we have two seasons: the wet season (also known as hurricane season, from May-November) and the dry season (the time when snowbirds like to come from northern states and Canada). Practically speaking most of the time, that means the temperature or feels-like temperature is in the 90s from April and into most of December. Many of those days, it’s not only hot, it’s also extremely humid and rainy. Don’t believe those average-temperature charts — those days in the 90s can cool down to the upper 70s but only when it rains! If you’re thinking of a sunny day in southern Florida in the spring, summer or fall, you can bet it will be around 90 degrees. So that’s how I came up with 75 perfect-weather days — days when it’s not raining, it’s not take-your-breath-away humid or life-sucking hot, and it’s not bone-numbing cold. (Oh yeah. If it’s in the 40s, that’s freezing to us here in southern Florida!)

Weather was a top reason that parents gave for their children not playing outside more often, according to the NWF’s new report, The Forecast Calls for Play. You can download the PDF report from the Be Out There site. It’s important for kids to play outside for their overall health, numerous other studies have found — and being in nature helps kids appreciate the natural world, helping ensure they will grow up wanting to take care of the Earth.

I admit that I’m one of the parents who participated in the survey, and I agree the hot, humid weather is a deterrent to playing outside. I mean, some summer days are brutally hot! You can break a sweat within three minutes by doing nothing but sitting outside. I recall one summer day when I took my boys on a nature walk, and it was so hot that we were all grumpy with one another. It was only 10 in the morning. I don’t have a problem with letting my kids play in the rain or exploring outside when it’s chilly — in fact, chilly weather is so rare that we love being outside then — but the heat definitely gets to us.

Fortunately, The Forecast Calls for Play report gives parents tips and ideas for allowing kids to be outside even if it’s raining, cold or, yes, broiling hot. The report doesn’t advocate being outside during storms or bringing on frostbite or heat exhaustion, however, and provides tips for staying safe in all kinds of weather. In our case, we need to play outside either early (before 10 am, ahem) or late and stay cool with plenty of water to drink. We may also need to limit our amount of time outside so we don’t get overheated.

I think it’s great that the NWF has taken parents’ concerns and given us a way to still play outside on those other 290 days of the year when the weather is less than perfect.

As a parent, one of the things I want most for my children (and all children) is the freedom of spirit that includes one’s heart and mind: To explore who they are — their strengths, what they love, their work styles, and what values they want to have. To test their abilities, try new things, and take risks. To connect and share freely with others, contributing to a community and being part of something bigger than themselves.

There is no better setting for this sense of spirit than the great outdoors, and there is no better way to achieve it than through a camp experience. Nature experiences have been a cornerstone of organized camp experiences since their beginning over 150 years ago. And they are still important today: According to the American Camp Association’s (ACA) most recent Sites, Facilities, and Programs report, over two-thirds of ACA-accredited camps indicate they intentionally target programs or initiatives to connect children with nature.

Research clearly shows that time spent in the outdoors has critical benefits for our children. A study from the University of Essex has shown that time spent in nature improves cognitive functioning, reduces stress, and allows for opportunities of self-discovery. But with kids spending seven hours plugged into a screen each day, sedentary, structured free time is the norm. Our wireless connections create invisible wires — wires that tie up our children’s minds, imaginations, physical activity levels, and time to build authentic connections with others and themselves.

But the outdoors and the camp experience combine to cut those invisible wires while fostering positive, powerful, and lifelong habits, skills, and mindsets. At camp, kids get outdoors; get moving (most exceed the recommended sixty minutes of physical activity per day!); learn how to live together in a caring, supportive community; and find the time to reflect on and explore their interests.

I’m thrilled by the recent partnership of ACA and NWF to reach more kids and parents with the positive impacts of outdoor experiences. We want nature to be a part of kids’ and families’ everyday lives. I encourage you learn how you can make the most of summer with a camp experience by visiting www.CampParents.org, where you will find expert resources, planning tips, and ACA’s Find a Camp database. Also, your family can join in NWF’s Great American Backyard Campout, which encourages families to gather outdoors and camp on June 22. As you participate in the Campout with your family, you will be doing so alongside many participating campers and staff at ACA-accredited camps.

Have a great summer!

With four decades of experience as a change agent in youth development and transformation, Peg L. Smith is the chief executive officer of the American Camp Association® (ACA). ACA is the champion of better tomorrows — providing resources, research, and support for developmentally appropriate camp experiences. Learn more at www.CampParents.org or www.ACAcamps.org.

About ACA

The American Camp Association® (ACA) works to preserve, promote, and enhance the camp experience for children and adults. ACA-Accredited® camp programs ensure that children are provided with a diversity of educational and developmentally challenging learning opportunities. There are over 2,400 ACA-accredited camps that meet up to 290 health and safety standards. For more information, visit www.ACAcamps.org.

National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) Be Out There is a national movement to give back to American children what they don’t know they’ve lost- their connection to the natural world. With a wealth of activities, events, and resources, Be Out There reconnects families with the great outdoors to raise happy, healthy children with a life-long love of nature.